Delegation is an important skill, but even if you’ve mastered it, you should still keep in regular touch with your employees to give them an opportunity to discuss topics that aren’t related to specific tasks or projects. The best way to do this is via regular one-to-one conversations - perhaps 30-60 minutes each week, depending on their level of autonomy. These routine discussions build trust and provide an opportunity for the employee to broach personal or sensitive matters without the having to request a special meeting. One-to-ones are primarily for the team member’s benefit, designed for them to ask questions, discuss ideas, request feedback and coaching or raise concerns.

One-to-ones tend to work best if the employee talks through their progress and is encouraged to mention anything else they wish to discuss. The manager should listen actively and develop the conversation around whatever the person wants to talk about, providing feedback if requested but not using these catch-ups to appraise performance. If appropriate, the meeting could also be used to share progress updates, discuss upcoming work, or flag changes in the business if these haven’t already been covered in wider team meetings.
 
If the team works remotely for much or all of the time, the manager needs to check in with employees more often so they don’t begin to feel isolated or demotivated. Talk with your people and find out what works best for each of them. Many who work remotely will find it helpful to have a quick catch-up at the same time each day, ideally using a video platform, so they can provide a progress report and highlight any emerging barriers or concerns.